Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-04-30
A COSTLY wAIs or yHe SEA.
sailors Once In a While Fin . Fortune
Floating on the Water.

Two sailors entered a wholesale drug
store on lower Nassau street the other
day, carrying with them a parcel which
they handled as carefully as a young
mother fondles her infant. They thought
they had a piece of ambergris, which is
a very costly substance usually found in
the belly Of Il dyspeptic whale.
They were confident they had some
thing worth about $40, 900, but upon
examination, unfortunately, it was found
to be only hardened tallow mixed with
dirt and salt-about as valuable as a
chattel mortgage on a flock of pigeons.
The captain could not believe in the ex-
pert's Judgment and went out, still
clutchinS his long guarded treasure and
expressing his dissatisfaction with a
liberal use of profanity. Similar mis-
takes to the one already described are
often made in this city. The proprietor
Of the store spoke of the history and uses
Of ambcraris as follows:
NEARLY every one is constantly using
amberGris. 1t is every day in the hands
of LADIES' and gentlemen throughout the
world, hut comparatively few people
know anything about it. Its oiigin Is
disputed. Even scientists DO not agree
upon its true source: and, although 1t
enters all houses where civilization reaches
and an immensely profitable trade i'll the
commodity is carried on, nine out Of ten
people whom YOU meet would not know
what you meant if you mentioned its
name. IL is a slatelike substance, vary
ing in color from dark to light gray, the
darker shades, which are also denSer In
fiber. being the most valuable. \ piece
weighing from twenty TO thirty-iivc
pounds is Secn but II in a lifetime.
The most Of it handled 10y the dealers is
made W Of pieces only a few ounces in
weight. 1t is worth to-day about S2i
per ounce and during the last few years
has sold Us high as $40 per ounce In con-
sequence Of its scarcity. Finding a piece
of it is like finding a s. note. You are
as likely, or unlikely, to find it in II
place As in another. There are several
theories as TO its origin, the generally ac-
cepted n being that it is an accunula-
ton Of secreted and indigestible matter
in the stomach of a sick whale. 1t is
found all over the globe at rare interval,
by s~eafaring men, either floating on the
water, cast up on some shore or lodged
inside the whale. The greatest source of
supply is the Arctic ocean, and also the
southern ATTITUDES, the usual cruising
ground Of the whaling vessels. The COM
mandcrs are always IN the lookout for Ii,
a. among the >uICrstlliuus Of the sea 1t Is
considered an omen of good luck for the
ship eyer aiUprward when her master
brings homc IA piece Of ambcrgriS. llciS
always allowed a portion Of the profits.
You could put a piece worth $4,000 in
your overcuGt pocket, and from this you
can understand how the toilerS Of the
ocean never cease their vigilance in hunt
Ing for it.
THE fact that il is the most efficient
known substance in producing the last
ing quality in pcrGumcry gives 1t its enor-
NOUS commercial value. Ciyct and musk
gre used for the slmc purpose. but are
not as powerful. When a perfume is
made, white rose. cas,ia or hcliotroIT.
for example, the Odor of the flowers
would quickly pass away. as the spirits
forming the body of the liquid evaporatn.
J Ambergris, however. prevents this, and
is the indispensable boon that holds back
the scent fOr days and weeks upon the
handkerchief. When treated with alco-
hol it divides itself up into an almost in
finite number of fine particles, which are
mixed in the pcrfumery and remain on
the fabric after the spirits have cyaIor-
atcd. acting as minute reservoirs and
holding the pure essence Of the flower
after the cloth is perfectly dry. One
ounce dissolved in gallon vi alcohol will
make a strong tincture, and you would
he required 10 Use only a single ounc of
this tincturc in a gallon Of pcriumcry,
which conveys an idea Of how tar a few
ounces Of amlcrgris will 90. Its production
is lmiteItO a few pounds per year, where
as II l. the most important factor in the
manufacture Of millions Of gallons Of per-
fumery. When a large piece IS found,
the news Uf the discovery is tClcgraphci
to dcalrrs and the markets of the world
are affected. In one instance a New
York firm, some years ago, h1ught up a
large portion Of the existing supply and
realized largely on the corner thus pro-
duced. Boston is the most influential
center. a. New Bedford. near at hand.
sends out more whaling ships than any
other city Of any country. The owners
of the ships sell the amlergris to the
wholesale dealers, and although all drug
stores keep a little on hand, it is bought
directly from the wholesale men by the
perfumcry manufacturer. New York
Mail and Express.